Surviving the Whole15

Well, guys... I did it! I lasted 15 days on the Whole30 diet... modified to the Whole15 of course!

For those of you who are living under a rock, the Whole30 is an ultra trendy cleansing diet that is sweeping the nation. No grains. No dairy. No legumes. No booze. And no fun! It was brutal, but I am so freaking proud of myself I can't believe it. 

People say that it is life changing, that you stop craving the "bad" foods and you feel like a whole new person. Either those people are full of shit or you have to do it the full 30 days to get optimal results... Either way I am skeptical. Sure, I feel better... Definitely healthier... But not a DAY went by that I wasn't drooling over a big bowl of pasta or cursing myself for dieting during a trip to Chick-fil-a. Although the cravings were painful, the hardest part was the social aspect of it all. Happy hours started to lose appeal... No glass of wine while cooking dinner... No fancy cheese plates while enjoying The Bachelor... And dating! Dating and booze go hand and hand so this diet was an absolute game changer. Somehow, I persevered and I am excited to share a few tips & tricks that helped me survive this thing.

"Sober" Activities - Staying busy was huge for me. I tend to eat the worst when I am bored or out with friends, so it was important for me to stay active and preoccupied. I spent as much time outside as possible... Hikes, long walks, window shopping... Whatever I could think of. When the weather was shitty, movie nights with friends was the perfect way to stay busy and cozy. I went on lots of coffee dates and treated myself to plenty of shopping trips. 

Tell Everyone - Not like in an obnoxious way, but make sure people know. The encouragement and accountability is awesome, and it helps to not CONSTANTLY have people offering you a taste of their latest sugary treat.

Trying New Recipes - I absolutely cannot eat a salad every day for 2 weeks, it just isn't happening. I really enjoyed trying new recipes I never would have thought about. There are so many blogs out there with fun and exciting meal ideas. This Mango Chicken with Cauliflower Rice was insanely good. I also made a delicious broccoli fried rice with shrimp, green beans, egg, and cashews which was pretttttyyyy mind blowing. When I was lacking time/creativity... I roasted a LOT of Brussels Sprouts, and absolutely couldn't get enough Banana Pancakes with almond butter. 

Food Prep - Food prepping and planning was a must... Although I feel like that is a given. Not having to think about what I was going to eat made it a lot easier to avoid grabbing a quick piece of pizza to get by.

Easy Snacks - The truth of it is, if I am starving, I am grabbing WHATEVER is in sight. It was definitely important for me to be able to grab a healthy snack to curb my appetite between meals. Lara Bars were a must (I kept a whole box of Coconut Cream Pie bars on hand at all times) and always had fresh fruit handy. I also ate a lot of nuts! Trader Joes has an awesome selection, so I made sure to stock up. I love unsalted nuts, and found that Pistachios were great because they take a little longer to eat. I mean, lets be honest... a "serving" of cashews just doesn't seem satisfying when a can pound them all into one bite. 

Go Out - This isn't jail! It is tricky but doable. Sure, drunk people are a little harder to handle when you're stone cold sober, but don't miss out on life just because you're dieting! Granted, it took my waitress SEVEN times to bring me my water which became more of a greeting than a request, but it was totally worth it to spend the time with my friends and enjoy the Seattle Night Life.

La Croix - Guys, if you aren't already obsessed... You should be. It is the perfect guilt-free treat and satisfies all kinds of cravings. You need a case. Or two. 

Celebrate - Super Bowl fell RIGHT in the middle of my diet... Wah wah. Everyone knows I love a good holiday, and the food is most of the fun! Since we hosted this year, I had a lot more control over the spread... So I tossed caution to the wind and decided to have fun with it. I stocked up on sparkling water, olives, and these awesome Truffle Almonds so I could pretend to sip on a cocktail have some fun finger food to snack on. I also whipped up a batch of meatballs and an Italian Stew which everyone could enjoy! Between the snacks, the company, and the banana chips dipped in guac... I barely missed out on a thing! 

All this to say, I made it! I survived! It was kinda awful... But also kinda awesome... And I did it! I am officially done with my 15 day Everest, but have yet to go off the rails. Sure, I plan to go buckwild at dinner tonight, but that is a different story for a different day! 

Cheers to all the booze and noodles I can't wait to get after tonight!

 #givemeallllllthecarbs